Post submitted by Hayley Miller, former HRC Associate Director of Digital and Social

The Oscars could be a huge night for Moonlight, the breakout film that tells the story of a young black gay man. The film is nominated for eight awards, including Motion Picture, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing, Original Score and Writing (Adapted Screenplay).

The film is inspired by the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney. HRC recently sat down with the film’s writer and director, Barry Jenkins, as well as McCraney, to discuss the groundbreaking film and the issues of bullying and masculinity. Richard Brody of The New Yorker said, “Blasting aside conventions, archetypes, and stereotypes, Jenkins conjures the birth of an individual’s consciousness, the forging of a complex and multifaceted identity; he restores complexity to the very idea of identity, of the multiplicity as well as the singularity of being oneself—and he conveys his own primordial sense of wonder that art itself can conjure it.” Moonlight is the winner of the 2017 Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Drama.

HRC honored Moonlight with the HRC Visionary Arts Award at the 2017 HRC Greater New York Gala earlier this month.

That same night, HRC honored critically-acclaimed, multi-award-winning actress Meryl Streep with HRC Ally for Equality Award. Streep is nominated for her role in Florence Foster Jenkins, becoming the most nominated actress in Oscar’s history.